Since You've Been Around
by yagmuysu
Summary: A mother fighting to keep his son and a doctor whose life has just crumbled down into pieces... What happens when a tragic accident crosses their paths? JATE AU
1. Chapter 1

**A huge hello to the amazing Lost fandom!**

**I'm sper excited to post my very first Jate story. I know I'm quite late since the show is ove but here it is, for people like me who couldn't get over the amazing show Lost. And of course Jate, the best couple in the world and my number one OTP.**

**I just need to inform you that English is not my mother tongue and I will make A LOT of mistakes. Sorry in advance. **

**And ENJOY :)**

* * *

"Mommy can we open Hakuna Matata again?" She heard her little boy ask from the cars backseat. She looked from the rear mirror and saw her sons sleepy little face. His cheeks were red and his thick, blond hair was all messy.

"Aaron? Why are you up? It's really late."

"The road is bumpy. I don't like it." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry baby. We're going up a mountain right now but don't worry, we're almost there."

"In Seetle?" He asked, his eyes opening wide in excitement

The woman laughed. "It's Seattle honey. And yes, we're about an hour away but the snow is slowing us down. Look how much there is! Maybe we can build a snowman tomorrow. You're very first snowman!"

"Yay! We can build the biggest snowman ever!" the boy said enthusiastically as he opened his arms wide to express how big he wanted the snowman to be."

Kate smiled. "We'll do it tomorrow. But now you need to rest. Try to close your eyes baby. We'll be there when you wake up I promise."

* * *

"Hey Shepherd! I didn't know you were on call tonight." Dr. Malcolm reeves said as they both stepped into the room to check on a patient.

Jack had stayed at the hospital for the past week and everyone was starting to get worried about him. Ever since the incident he had stopped looking after himself. He had bags under his eyes and a very pale skin from not getting hydrated enough. He was not eating nor sleeping well. He didn't even care about how he dressed and acted around patients. You could no longer see the charismatic Jack Shepherd whose expensive cologne drew all the female patients crazy.

"I just thought you guys might need an extra hand. I have nothing to do at home anyways."

"Jack, when was the last time you _went_ home? Or had a good nights sleep? You look like a wreck and we're all worried about you." Juliet Burke chimed in. She was the kind doctor every patient adored. She cared about everyone but there was something special about her actions around Jack. Even though she didn't even admit to herself, she always had a thing for the strong and successful doctor.

Jack was well aware of the fact that he had to go back home at some point. But he was scared. Scared to come across memories that they spent in that house together, as a happy couple. Maybe he was scared for the first time since he screwed up his first solo procedure. He never thought that he would have that stupid feeling in his life ever again.

But there he was, living at the hospital for the past 12 days, _scared_ to go back home.

He looked up to his friends' worried eyes and nodded.

They were right.

There was no point in making this even harder by delaying it all the time.

She was gone and he had to move on.

Maybe he would sell the house. Or change the furniture to erase the prints she left behind…

"Do you need someone to take you home? You look exhausted and maybe you shouldn't be driving like this."

"No, I'm fine Malcolm. Thanks for everything though."

"Of course! You should also take the day off tomorrow. I'll talk with the chief. I need you to rest and gather your strength so that I can kick your ass at basketball next time."

Jack laughed sincerely for the first time in days.

"We'll see _who'll_ kick _whose_ ass!"

They gave each other a brotherly hug and Jack left for the lockers. Soon later he had changed and thrown his dirty laundry to his backpack.

As he was driving he thought about going to his mothers house instead.

"I haven't seen her in a while." he thought out loud. But something changed his mind and instead, he went with the mountain road, which was the only way to their- his country house.

He remembered how hard it was to drive for an hour just to get home after a long day at work but seeing his beautiful wife when he stepped through the door always made it worthwhile.

* * *

They used to live together in a small apartment in the city while they were engaged. But she'd insisted that they should move into a bigger house when they got married. A house away from the city, in a perfect environment to raise a family…

That was all she'd ever wanted.

So when one night when Jack came home all tired and stressed out about the piles of paper work that needed to be done by the next day, he was greeted by his very enthusiastic soon to be wife. Her eyes were gloving in excitement as she showed a few pictures of a lovely house she found online.

"I know we said that we would wait but I couldn't help myself." she said shyly as she bit her lips. She crossed her fingers and hoped that her fiancé would like the house she fell in love with. Before Jack could even comment on the house she started talking about how they could renovate it and make it fully theirs.

He looked up from the pictures and gave her a smile.

"Does that mean you like it?" she quickly asked. "Oh come on Jack Shepherd you're killing me here! Say something!" She was jumping around him playfully. He grabbed her and pulled her closer. Their faces were inches apart.

"You didn't give me a chance to talk." he whispered. She started to laugh.

"So... Did you like it?"

"I loved it."

He kissed her.

The first time they went to see the house, they got lost in the mountains. After an hour of driving circles they finally decided to stop the car somewhere and enjoy the nature. The cell reception of the high mountain was very low and they couldn't reach the seller of the house. So they had nothing else to do. They got out of the car and started walking around. They talked about their future and dreams while they walked. Jack was mostly talking about his career whereas the young woman in his arms kept mentioning having a large family one day. She always tried drawing pictures in Jack's mind. And that day as they were walking she was also describing a scene where they were decorating a large Christmas tree as a family. Christmas time was her favorite and eventually Jack started to enjoy it as well. He loved seeing his fiancé's eyes glow in happiness.

She continued telling him that they would have at least three kids and that she would quit her job as a lawyer when they had their first one. She was nurturing woman. She was born to be an amazing mother but Jack wasn't sure about having kids.

He never thought he was fit to be a dad. He never had a proper dad and he wasn't sure if you could be one. But with Sarah it seemed like he could do anything. It seemed like their love for each other would make anything happen and never _ever_ end.

After sometime they got tired of walking and went back to the car.

"Are you hungry babe?" she asked.

"Starving!" he replied. With that she went through her bag and took out two sandwiches that were neatly wrapped in tin foil.

"I had these with me just in case we went home late. Lets sit on those rocks and have a _romantic_ lunch." she said giving him a playful smile.

They ate their sandwiches and goofed around until the sun started to set.

"There's one last thing I want to do before we leave." Jack said and jumped up and ran back to the car. He searched for a while and finally found the music he was looking for. He opened the volume as high as it went and quickly went back to his fiancée.

"Our song..." she whispered. Her eyes were already filled with tears. First, he wiped the few tears that were rolling down her cheeks and wrapped his arms around her as they started to dance.

"What did I do to deserve you Jack Shepherd?"

"You didn't do anything. It was just meant to be."

_Lady in red is dancing with me. Cheek to cheek..._

* * *

Jack found himself humming that very song while he drove though the narrow path that was covered in snow. He was hardly able to see straight ahead because of the snow.

His tired eyes opened wide when he saw smoke coming out of a car that had hit a tree. It looked like the car had gotten out of track and hit a tree as it was falling down the cliff.

He quickly parked his car, got out and started running towards the crash.

"Is anyone there? Are you okay?" he yelled but there was no answer. For a brief second he though that the car was empty and relief filled his body. But that was only for a second because the closer he got, the clearer he got to hear the faint call for help.

He was now running with all the strength he had left in his body. All his exhaustion disappeared when his eyes met the woman's scared ones. Her beautiful sea green eyes were filled with terror and there were tears rolling down her cheeks. But tears were not the only things running down… Her face was almost fully covered with blood that was rushing out of a large wound on her forehead.

"You're safe now. My name is Jack and I'm a doctor. I need to check your vitals and get you out of this car as soon-" he said swiftly.

"My son!" the woman screamed. "H-he was sleeping at the back. Get him out first! Please!" she begged as even more tears rolled down her face, cleaning some of the blood as they rolled down her face.

"I kept calling his name but he won't answer me. Oh god... He won't answer me!" she gasped when reality hit her. She covered her mouth with shaky hands.

Jack reached through the window and held her hands.

"Okay look, you need to take deep breaths and calm down. I will climb up to the backseat and take care of your son. You're both going to be alright I promise you."

He was trying to climb to the back of the car but right as he reached the door his hand slipped and he fell down hitting his chest on something hard. Because of the dark he couldn't define what exactly was the thing he hit. He felt a sting of pain on his chest and assumed that he probably cracked a rib. But avoiding the pain the best he can, he kept climbing. Reminding himself of the promise he gave to the worried mother.

She was still crying out for her son. "Aaron? Please, baby… Say something. Say something to let mommy know you're okay. Please Aaron!"

Jacks heart sank with her cries. He knew all too well that there was a very high possibility that the boy might be dead.

He finally reached the door once again and this time was successful to stabilize himself up there. He tried opening the door but it was stuck.

"Damn it!" he cursed as he tried harder but the pain in his chest was preventing his mobility.

It had only been a few minutes since he arrived the scene but to him it felt like hours and with every second that past he felt like he was failing to rescue them. He needed to take both of them out of the car. It was not safe.

"Aaron?" he called out. "My name is Jack and I'm here to help you and your mom." he said and waited for a response. "Aaron, are you hurt?" he asked a few more times but there was still no answer. Jack took a deep breath. How could he go to that mother and tell her that her son is gone.

A small tear escaped and he wiped it away quickly when he heard something move from inside the car.

"Mommy?"

Jack started to laugh in relief when he heard the weary voice of the little boy. He sounded a lot younger than Jack expected. Maybe 3 or 4...

"Your mommy if fine buddy. But I need to get you out first before I can help her. Okay? I need you to come close to the window so I can see if you're hurt. Okay Aaron?"

Jack first saw his short blonde hair and then his tiny hands as the boy climbed out from under the seats and got closer to the window. His eyes were opened wide in fear and his face was tear soaked. But thank god, he didn't seem to be hurt. Jack peeked inside the car and saw that the cars windows could be rolled down manually.

"Hi Aaron." he whispered quietly. "Aaron look, I can't open the door from here so I need you to do something for me okay? Do you know how to roll down the window?" He asked.

"Huh?" Aaron asked, confused. Then jack realized that he was talking to a scared 3 year-old and tried more simple sentences.

"Can you open the windows? Can you do that for me buddy so I can get you out?"

"I want my mommy! I'm scared!" He was now crying even louder and while this was happening the poor mother who was trapped in the front was relieved to hear her sons voice.

"Aaron? Baby, it's mommy. It's okay honey... You need to open the window so Jack can help you get out. Remember... Remember what a big helper you were when you opened the window to let some fresh air in while we drove for days and days. You've done it before, you can do it now. You're a very big boy."

After his mother's encouraging words, Aaron sniffled and wiped his tears away with the back of his tiny hands.

Jack was amazed by how he could calm down by just hearing his mother's voice.

It took him a few tries and a lot of his strength but he finally got to roll down the window.

"Good job! Good job buddy!" Jack said in excitement. He reached out his arms and helped the little boy out.

Aaron clung onto Jack's shirt tightly and buried his face in the man's shoulder.

"I got him!" Jack shouted. "I got him! He's fine and I'm going to take him to my car now. I'll come back for you!"

He wrapped one arm protectively around the small, shivering body and climbed back up to the road. He quickly ran to his car that had a safe distance to the crash. Jack gave him a quick examination under the light after placing him on the back seat of his SUV.

"You're a very brave little man Aaron. And you're very, very strong. I now need you to sit and wait for me here while I help your mom. I will call for more doctors to come and help us. Just don't get out of the car okay?"

"Jack! Don't leave me please!" the boy begged, new tears quickly forming on his eyes.

Jack quickly gave him a tight hug.

"You're safe here. Nothing else scary will happen anymore I promise you. But I need you to be brave for your mommy and me and stay here. Don't go anywhere."

The boy nodded.

"Pinky swear." he said, sticking out his little pinkie.

Jack wrapped his around it and gave him a reassuring smile.

* * *

Jack ran up and down the road trying to find cellphone reception and as soon as that one bar appeared on his pone he called his best friend Malcolm.

"Jack? Is everything okay? I thought you were going to go home and get some sleep?"

"Malcolm, there was an accident. No, I was not involved but there's a woman and her son. The boy is fine but I think the mother is seriously injured and trapped inside the car. I need an ambulance and a rescue team immediately!"

"Okay, I'm sending one right away and coming with. Are you sure you're okay jack?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just be quick!" He hung up and put the phone into his back pocket. He was starting to loose feeling of his hands because now, the light snow had almost turned into a blizzard and he just had a light jacket on.

He almost fell down once again while he tried to run down the steep hill. He found the woman with her eyes shut tightly, probably from the pain she was in.

"I'm back. Your son is perfectly fine and safe. Now I need to focus on you."

"No! Don't leave him alone! He must be very scared! He needs someone with him." She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"He will be fine, but you don't seem like it. You're obviously injured. Let me check you."

He noticed that she was starting to loose consciousness so he lightly tapped on the window to keep her awake. She needed to stay awake in case of any brain injury.

"Hey! Talk to me. What's your name?"

"I'm Kate." she murmured.

"Good... Good... You live around here Kate?" He was trying to make her talk while he tried to pull the door open with all his strength but it was also stuck. And he couldn't force it further because the pain in his chest was starting to get worse.

When he didn't get an answer from her and saw that her eyes were closed once again he reached in through the broken window and touched her face gently.

"I need you to stay awake and talk to me okay? Can you do-" he was interrupted by her screams.

"It hurts! It hurts so much!"

"Where? Where hurts Kate?" He ran back to the other side of the car and tried the door there. Finally he got to open it and got into the seat next to her.

"My abdomen!" She cried out in pain.

Jacks eyes fell to her abdomen and he froze at the sight I front of him.

"Oh God..." he whispered to himself. He took out his phone and using its light, got a better look at her injury.

One of the large branches of the tree the car had hit, had broken through the windshield and stabbed Kate right in the abdomen.

Taking another look at her wound, he was surprised this woman was still alive and talking. If the ambulance didn't arrive soon, she would die. And there was nothing Jack could do to stop it.

* * *

**Here you go guys… I hope you liked it and please FOLLOW and REVİEW!**

**BY THE WAY, I never wanted to be the person doing this but I have to… I will only continue writing this story if I can reach a certain amount of followers. It's just because I loose interest after a while and don't want to write. New followers and reviews are the only things that can keep me going :) I have the 2nd chapter written so I should post it in a few days but the rest is up to you.**

**Oh, and one more thing... I would love to make some new Lost friends so feel free to PM me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi!**

**This will be a short chapter but chapter 3 is almost done so I'll probably post it tomorrow or the other day. We might have a snow day tomorrow and that would be amazing! I could even finish chapter 4! (fingers crossed) **

**I don't usually update this soon by this story wont get out of my mind! I'm constantly thinking about it and I always have the urge to write (which also doesn't happen to me very often)**

**I hope you guys are enjoying this because I'm just starting :) I already have a ton of things planned!**

**And thank you so much for the reviews! They mean so much to me!**

**By the way I tried to check my grammar spelling etc. over and over again but it's almost 3 am here so I probably missed a lot of mistakes. Sorry!**

* * *

She tried to say something but her eyes were still closed. She flinched in pain. Jack grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm here, Kate." He said tenderly.

"Tom?" she asked. Jack noticed the smile on her face and realized that she was thinking he was someone else.

Then suddenly she started shaking frantically. Jack quickly looked out the window for any sign from the ambulance.

But there wasn't any.

And they didn't have much time left

"Kate…Kate, open your eyes!" he shook her lightly. "Please! Help is on the way. You can't give up now. Aaron… He's waiting for you..."

"Jack?" she asked this time, finally managing to open her eyes.

"I'm here."

"You shouldn't be here! It's not safe." she said loudly when she realized he was still sitting beside her.

"I'm not going anywhere until they come to rescue you."

"No!" She said. She tried to face him but moving even the slightest bit caused her an unbearable amount of pain. "The car must be leaking gas. It's dangerous for you to stay here. You need to leave!"

He knew all too well that staying with her was some sort of of a suicide but he also knew that he gave this woman a promise he really wanted to keep.

He wanted to help her.

There was something in her that seemed so familiar to him. Something in her eyes that made him feel like he'd known her all his life. He felt a very strong connection towards her but he couldn't really define it.

"Kate, I am _not_ going to leave you alone."

There was a brief silence as the two tried to gain their strengths back. Kate seemed to be much better from a few minutes back. She was calm, conscious and talking.

"How old is he?" Jack asked. He was doing his best to make small talk.

"He'll be 4 in 2 months." Kate smiled picturing her beautiful boy's face. "He is very excited for his birthday."

"He seems like an amazing kid. Very brave too..."

"He is."

He noticed that she was shivering. Yes, the car was getting really cold but her shivering was not entirely caused because of the snow outside.

She was loosing too much blood.

"I'm cold Jack." She told him, seeking comfort from him.

He took his jacket off and covered her thin frame with it. He then pulled her brown locks away from her face and placed them behind her ears.

That was when he realized how beautiful she actually was. He found a box of wet wipes next to the front seat and gently started wiping off the blood on her face. He'd just gotten a sudden urge to do so.

Kate wasn't rejecting to this. His touch, his voice was comforting. Simply him being next to her made her feel better.

He made her feel safe despite the situation they were in.

He on the other hand, just wanted to see her clearer, get to know her better . He felt terrible for thinking about these things while she was fighting for her life but he couldn't help it. From the second his eyes met hers he was enchanted by her.

"Do you want me to call anyone? Your husband? Family maybe?"

"I don't have a husband or any family members. It's just Aaron and me." She answered with a sad smile.

"There _must _be someone. Friends? "

"No. Aaron is all I've got." she stopped when she realized that _she_ was also all Aaron had left. "He's my entire world Jack. If anything happens to me..."

"Don't think about that right now."

"I can't die. I'm all he has left. He'll be all alone"

"Kate, you're not going to." He tried to reassure her but failed. At this point even he wouldn't believe what he just said.

She stared to cry, shaking and flinching again with every small move. Her breathing fastened and caused her to loose more blood.

"Kate... Kate, look at me." he said turning her face to his with a soft touch. "Calm down. You need to calm down. You're loosing too much blood this way. Don't' think about Aaron right now. Just focus on your breathing."

"I'm so scared." She said quietly.

He held her hand again and made direct eye contact with her, helped her focus on his eyes. He took slow, deep breaths with her and tried to distract her with a story.

"You know what, fear's sort of an odd thing. When I was in residency, my first solo procedure was a spinal surgery on a 16-year-old kid, a girl. And at the end, after _13 hours_, I was closing her up and I- I accidentally ripped her dural sac. Shredded the base of the spine where all the nerves come together, membrane as thin as tissue…

And so it ripped open. And all the nerves just spilled out of her like angel hair pasta. Spinal fluid flowing out of her and I …And the terror was just so … crazy. So real…

And I knew I had to deal with it." A tear escapes down his face. "So I just made a choice. I'd let the fear in, let it take over; let it do its thing, but only for five seconds. That's all I was going to give it.

So I started to count: one, two, three, four, five.

Then it was gone. I went back to work, sewed her up and she was fine."

Kate was listening to his story in amazement.

She smiled at him. "If that had been me, I think I would have run for the door."

That made him chuckle. "I don't think that's true."

By now, her breathing had slowed down and so had the blood rushing out of her abdomen. They were talking like two normal people who just met. For a little while, they had even forgotten that they were still stuck inside a crashed car.

"I need you to do something for me, Jack." She said.

"Sure. Whatever I can."

"There's a letter I wrote a few days ago, when I decided to come to Seattle. It's inside the glove compartment. I wrote everything down about what should happen to Aaron if something ever happened to me." She was about to continue when Jack stopped her

"Kate, you _will _be fine. They can be here any second."

"Oh stop it. I don't have to be a doctor to know that I'm probably not going to make it to the hospital. So listen to me carefully Jack; you can only read that letter after I die. Don't open it if I don't."

"Why are you being so mysterious?" he joked. "Are you a secret agent or something? Can't you just tell me who to get into contact with if something happens to you?"

"Please just do want I said. And don't ask any questions." She said sternly. "Promise me that you won't read the letter if I survive.

The mood inside the car changed in an instant. She seriously was hiding something important and now, Jack was dying to find out what it was.

But of course now was not the time.

So he decided to do what she asked and give her another promise…

"I promise."

"Thank you." She sighed and closed her eyes in relief.

Suddenly the dark sky lit up into the bright red with the sirens coming from the ambulance. Jack's face lit up and he quickly turned around to see an ambulance and a rescue engine coming towards them. He turned back to Kate and saw that instead of being happy about this, she looked oddly worried.

She reached out and grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer.

"Jack! You can't let social services take Aaron when they take me to the hospital! You can't!"

"Kate he'll be just fine with the social workers. You have nothin-"

"You don't understand! They will take him away from me! I will loose him forever! Please don't inform the social services. I'm begging you Jack! I can't live without my son!" Kate started crying again. This time because of pure emotional pain she was feeling from the thought of loosing her son.

He was so confused and didn't know what to tell her. He couldn't come against the law. He was Dr. Jack Shepherd. _The_ Jack Shepherd…

"Kate, what the hell is going on?"

"I know I'm asking a lot from you. But I promise, I will explain everything if I can get out of this alive. I'm sorry Jack, but please..."

"Okay... Okay I will do what you asked me to do. You don't have to worry about that any more. You just fight. Fight for your life. For your son..."

* * *

Malcolm came up to Jack while the rescue team rushed to tend Kate. They were shocked when they saw what exactly happened to her and quickly started discussing how to approach to this situation.

"Are you okay? You look hurt."

"I'm fine. You go back and make sure they take good care of her." he said and sent his friend to the other side of the car without letting him ask any more questions.

He knew that there were going to be many more questions he would need to answer. They would ask him how he found Kate and Aaron, if he knew them, what he and Kate talked about while they waited, whether or not he knew anyone to call from her family…

And most importantly they were going to ask him what to do with Aaron. Jack needed to calm down, take a deep breath and get his answers ready. He was never a good liar.

Jack didn't leave Kate's side.

He waited until they cut the branch off with a chainsaw.

He held Kate's hand while she shrieked in pain as they worked on her.

He stayed with her even after she passed out from all that pain.

He followed them to the ambulance, then ran back to his own car and found a female paramedic asking questions to the frightened little boy.

"How is he?" He asked while trying to catch his breath.

"He seems to be perfectly fine Dr. Shepherd. Should we take him with us in the ambulance?"

"No, he'll come with me. He shouldn't see his mom like that." He whispered and sent the woman away.

He knelt down to Aaron's eye level. "Hey buddy. Look, they came. Just like I told you they would. Everything will be okay now."

"Mommy was bleeding. I saw her." Aaron said with trembling lips and watery eyes. "Is she going to die?"

"No Aaron. They are going to take really good care of your mom."

The boy threw his arms around Jack and once again buried his face in Jacks shoulder as he cried. Jack slowly rubbed his back as he tried to soothe him.

"I'm going to take you to the hospital now. Okay? We'll meet up with your mommy there."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter**

**Please leave a REVIEW and FOLLOW! **


	3. Chapter 3

**I didn't get my snow day after all but I got to update! YAY!**

**But I just want to let you know that I might not be able to update this often starting from next week because I'll have to study for a bunch of tests until February! :/ I might update once a week though.**

**Anyways, here's chapter 3.**

**I hope you'll enjoy it!**

* * *

The paramedics rushed Kate into the ER where a team of doctors where already waiting for her. Jack waited a little while until they took Kate behind the curtains, where Aaron can't see her.

He took hold of the boy's little hand and walked into the ER. A kind nurse Jack knew for a very long time met them there. She was a pediatrics nurse and Jack knew Aaron would be in good hands with her.

"Aaron this is Emily. She will take care of you while I go and take care of your mom, okay?"

"Don't leave me!" He cried and wrapped his arms around the man's leg. the boy had seen so many unfamiliar faces that night. Jack was the only person he felt safe around.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. But now I need to be with your mom and make her better. You've been a very brave young man, Aaron. Can you keep being brave and stay with Emily?"

He nodded slowly and held the nurse's hand.

"Can you give him one last check up and then take him down to the cafeteria for something to eat?"

"Of course Dr. Shepherd. Do you want me to call the family members?"

"No, they don't have anyone to call."

"Oh, social services then... Should I or will you? The mother looks like she will be here for a long time and a hospital isn't a place for a child to stay."

"I'll do it Em. Just keep the boy safe and happy until I come."

He ran back to the private room where they kept the critical patients. Kate was lying on the bed, unconscious, with a bunch of doctors over her. The doctors quickly informed Jack that she was having acute respiratory and multi system organ failures with possible internal bleeding.

They all concluded on the same thing: she needed surgery.

Immediate, intensive, critical surgery…

* * *

He was ready to scrub into Kate's surgery but he was stopped the general surgeon who was in charge of the entire procedure. He reminded Jack that he was a _spinal_ surgeon and he needed to step back and let them do their job. He got furious, but knew that there was nothing he could do.

He found Malcolm, as he was about to scrub in and stopped him, grabbing by his arm.

"You can't let her die. She has to come out of this alive, okay?" he warned him. "You have to make sure they do everything they can to save her life."

"Jack have you met this woman before?" his friend asked. He'd noticed that Jack was showing extra special care for this woman and her son. Last time Jack was like this was with Sarah.

And Malcolm didn't want another 'Sarah incident' again.

"Save her Malcolm." Jack repeated.

Because that was all he could do to help Kate…

Malcolm nodded and went inside.

He went back and started waiting at the surgery waiting room that was filled with other people, waiting for good news about their loved ones. He paced from one end of the room to the other, talked with some other families who were trying to help him and prayed.

Jack Shepherd actually _prayed_ for Kate.

He was never a man of faith but right now, faith was all he had.

She couldn't die.

Not when he had this huge desire to get know her better, not when she left him with all this questions, not when Aaron is still waiting for her to come back to him.

And not when her face appeared before Jack's eyes every time he close them.

He went to his lockers and changed back into his old, dirty clothes.

_'At least these weren't covered in blood.' _He thought

He then went to find nurse Emily and Aaron. He found them in the pediatrics ward with Aaron sleeping on the old woman's lap.

"He was so tired that he dosed off immediately. He kept asking for you and his mom though. Poor baby, he must've been so scared tonight." Emily said while she played with the boy's soft, blond hair.

"He really was."

"No child should live through that fear." she shook his head. "You said he had no other family right? No father?"

"That's what his mother told me."

"You should call social services as soon as you can. The sooner he gets out of this environment the better. Trust me."

"I will. Thanks for everything Em."

Jack carried the sleeping child to his father's office. The room hadn't been used since his dad, Dr. Christian Shepherd, died two months ago. The hospital had asked Jack about what to do with his office and he was still in the process of deciding whether to let the new chief of resident use it or turn it into another storage room.

He gently placed Aaron onto the leather sofa and covered him with his lab coat. He remembered the nights he himself used to spend on that sofa sleeping while his dad was in surgery.

He sat down by the wooden desk and took a breather.

Everything was going so fast.

He wasn't sure if he had made the right decision by promising Kate to break the law and keep the child.

He tried to think about what his father would do. Of course he would give the boy to social services and let Kate deal with her own problems alone. He wouldn't interfere with other people's lives, especially strangers'.

He was as selfish as a person could get. But Jack didn't know if by being like this, his dad was doing the right thing or not. Because Christian never seemed to get into trouble and he kept rising, becoming the best at everything.

He had the best job, most adoring wife who would do anything to help him achieve his business goals, a son who did everything he told him to do and even though it wasn't his dream, became a surgeon.

So Jack sat in his father's chair with his head buried in his hands, trying to make the right decision. When he closed his eyes, he again was met by Kate's face. The desperation in her eyes instantly made it easier for him to keep his promise.

To do the right thing…

He finally took out his phone and dialed the number of his childhood home.

It was late so it took a few rings for Margo Shepherd to finally pick up the phone and she was worried sick when she saw the number that was calling her.

Her beloved son was still hurting since what happened with his wife, Sarah. And there was nothing she could do to make him feel better. For the past few weeks she called him everyday and begged him to come home but he would just tell her he was fine and hang up as quick as he could.

But she was a mother.

And mothers could understand that their child is unhappy by just hearing their voice, no matter how hard they try not to sound like that...

"Hi mom."

"Jack? Is everything okay dear?"

"I'm sorry for calling you in the middle of the night but something happened..."

"Oh dear god!" she gasped, expecting the worst. Jack's dad, Christian, the man she had devoted her 32 years to, was in the same mental situation as Jack was when he crashed his car to his death. Margo was scared for something like this to happen to her son as well.

"No mom, I'm fine. I just... Need you to do me a favor."

The old lady sighed in relief. "What can I do for you sweetheart?"

"Can you come to the hospital mom?"

"Now?"

"Yeah... I need your help."

"I'll be there as soon as I can Jack."

"Okay."

"I love you baby." she said before he could hang up. She just wanted him to say it one more time. When Jack was little they used to race to tell each other how much they loved them right before hanging up. It was a little game the mother and son shared.

But now, her little boy was all grown up and didn't want to play anymore. And she missed him enthusiastically telling her he loved him.

"Love you too." He quickly said and hung up, leaving Margo on the other line with watery eyes.

* * *

Margo stood by the door of her late husband's old office. Her mind instantly filled with memories of the hours she and Jack used to wait in that room for Christian to get out of surgery. Usually they would wait there for a few hours and finally cancel the dinner reservations or movie dates they were supposed to go to, because as always there would be another emergency surgery he needed to attend.

She didn't want her son to have that life and back at the time she fought so hard to change his mind so that he wouldn't choose to become a doctor. But Jack was choosing that life to finally be able to make his father proud. And because of that, there was nothing she could do to change his mind.

First, she knocked gently and then opened the door, making it squeak. She smiled at her son, but her expression quickly turned into confusion when she noticed a little boy sleeping on the sofa.

"Jack Shepherd?" She asked with a warning tone.

"Mom, this is Aaron. And he's the reason why I asked you to come here so late."

"I'm listening to you, son" She said and sat down in front of him. She impatiently waited for an explanation.

"It's a long story and I no longer have the energy to explain everything. Hell, I don't even know the whole thing myself! I was going home when I saw a car that had crashed into a tree. Inside were a woman and her son. I helped him get out but she was stuck so I stayed with her until the rescue team came. You had to see her mom she was so desperate. She was seriously injured and all she could think was her son."

"That's what any mother would do sweetheart. Our children are the most important thing in the whole world for us. How's the mother doing now? Is she...?" Margo couldn't finish her sentence. Even though she was around death all the time because of her husband and son's job, she still wasn't used to talking about it.

This woman was a complete stranger to her, she didn't even know her name but just because she was a mother, Margo could relate to her. She glanced at the boy, sleeping on the couch and tried to imagine what he must be going through.

"Kate, the mother, is still in surgery right now but I'm not sure if she could make it."

"What will happen to him then?" she asked turning her attention the boy again.

"That's why I asked you to come here. I need you to take care of him until I sort some thing out."

"Isn't social services for that Jack?"

"I didn't call them. And I won't because-"

Margo quickly stopped him with her eyes wide open in surprise.

"That is against the law, isn't it?"

"Yes it is. But Kate told me specifically not to inform the authorities. She begged me, mom. I made her a promise."

"Jack, as a doctor it is your duty to-"

"Mom! I've made up my mind." Jack said a little louder than he intended. He immediately lowered his voice when Aaron started tossing and turning around.

"I'm going to protect them. Protect _him… _So you can either help me or leave and let me deal with this alone."

"If it had been your father, he wouldn't risk getting into legal trouble for a stranger_._"

"My father was a selfish bastard and you know that mom! This boy will l_oose_ his mother if I make that call."

"What do you mean by that Jack?"

"I don't know. That was what she told me. I could feel the emotional pain she was in by just looking at her." He took a deep breath. "Mom, please… He's just four and he went through hell today. I can't keep him here but I also can't leave Kate. _I promised them. _Please trust me, I'm doing the right thing."

"Oh, Jack…" she said softly while she shook her head. She stood up and walked to the sleeping child. Pulling his hair out from his face, she took a good look at him. She gently rubbed his scars as if doing so; she could make them go away.

Jack came behind her. "I need you mom. I'm exhausted and I need your help."

Margo first looked at her son and then the boy and sighed. "Okay, honey I will do what you asked me to but I hope you're ready to face the consequences if things go bad. I don't know how you're going to hide this from the rest of the hospital's staff but I will support you. Just be careful, okay?"

"I know I'm doing the right thing. Don't worry."

"I hope you are, son. I hope you are…"

Jack went over to the couch, sat down next to the boy and lightly tapped on his shoulder, trying to wake him up.

"Aaron? Wake up, buddy"

It took a few tried but he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the light in the room.

"Aaron, I want you to meet someone. This is my mom Margo."

The old lady came closer and sat down as well, leaving Aaron in the middle.

"Hello Aaron." She gave him a warm smile.

"Hi." He quietly said. It was obvious that he was still trying to adjust to his new surroundings. Jack knew that his tiny blue eyes were searching for his mom.

"She is going to take you home now. You need to go with her and rest."

"Are you coming with me?" he asked, looking up to him with puppy eyes.

"I can't kiddo. I need to stay here and help your mommy."

Tears formed in his eyes as the boy shook his head.

"Are you going to leave me alone?"

"Sweetie..." Margo chimed in. "I promise you we will have so much fun once you get your rest. You wont even realize how the time passes."

She started playing with his hair but he quickly pulled back, giving her a fierce look.

"No! Jack protects me! He saved me and mommy. He is superman! I need to stay with him.

'_I couldn't save your mommy yet, buddy'_ Jack thought

"You will be perfectly safe with her Aaron. She is _my_ mom, right? She used to protect me when I was little. She's even more powerful than I am."

"Yeah… We can do whatever you want; watch some movies, bake cookies… I can even give you some of Jack's old toys if you want." She added.

"No!" he yelled, ready to throw a fit. He looked around the room searching for his mom once more and then started crying hysterically when he couldn't find her.

"I want my mommy!" he cried. He stood up and jumped into Jack's arms, holding onto him as tight as his little hands let him.

"Aaron…" Jack whispered.

"You promised! Don't leave me Jack! I'm scared!" he cried on his shoulder.

Jack helped the boy sit up on his lap and wiped his tears away. "Shh…" he soothed him.

"I know you're having a very scary night. But tonight will be over _very _soon. And tomorrow, Aaron, will be much better.

"Promise?" he asked

This time it was Jack who reached out his pinkie. Aaron slowly wrapped his around it and gave him a little smile.

"Pinky swear." They both said at the same time.

* * *

**Please don't forget to leave a REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys!**

**I want to start with thanking each and every one of you who followed and reviewed! You guys make my day and I'm giving you huge virtual hugs right now for doing so!**

**When I started writing this story, I didn't even think I'd get like 2-3 reviews. I'm glad to know that there are still a few Jaters left out there :)**

**As I told you I'm going through a very busy week right now. In fact instead of writing this I should be studying chemistry at the moment but... oh well... :) **

**That's why this will be a shorter chapter than usual. But next chapter will have a flashback and I will SLOWLY start reviewing Kate's secret! So stay with me! ****I promise I will update once more before the week is over.**

**I wish we had a Christmas break here in Turkey so that I could focus on writing and not have to worry about school and grades. I need a few days off! But I guess there's nothing I can do about that...**

**I will stop rambling and let you read the chapter now :)**

**As always, ENJOY!**

* * *

After grabbing a snack from the vending machine, he went back to the waiting room. For hours, he sat there with his head buried in his hands.

He watched people come and go.

Some laughed in relief after finding out that their loved one's surgery went well and some broke into tears the minute they saw the sad expression on the surgeon's face.

Finally after 4 hours of waiting, Jack felt a light tap on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Malcolm who was still in his scrubs.

"I though you might want to know how the surgery went."

"Of course! How is she?" Jack asked as he stood up. His heart was beating so fast and he was trying to prepare himself for the worst. For the possibility of her death… Putting the connection between them aside, his biggest fear was that if Kate died, Aaron would be all alone in this world. And Jack didn't know what his next step would be to help him. Remembering Kate's words, he reached into his back pocket where he put the folded letter she had written.

Malcolm realized that his friend was deep in his thought so he tried to get his attention by touching his shoulder once again.

"When we brought her, she was in critical condition. Her body was damaged. _Everywhere_... Inside the OR, we were 4 residents all working on different parts of her body. She went into VFIB, twice. But she is a fighter, without a doubt. The branch had damaged her spleen beyond repair so we had to take it out. But apart from a few broken bones, she will perfectly fine. She made it Jack. The surgery went very well."

Jack started to laugh in relief. He felt a huge burden lift from his shoulders.

Finally, he was able to keep the promise he gave to Kate and Aaron.

"Where is she right now? I want to see her."

"She's in the ICU. We're keeping her in a drug induced coma for now, to let her body recover properly."

"When will you wake her up?"

"Depends. Probably in a few days though… Jack, you seem awfully concerned about this woman. You said you _just_ met her and it's not normal for a doctor to act like this. I'm worried about you, man. Last time something like this happened it was with Sarah and look how that ended up. Try to keep your distance. I know you saved them but they are not your friends or family. You're their _doctor." _He tried to explain himself the best he could but after 7 hours of surgery in the middle of the night, he realized he didn't make sense anymore. He decided to leave this subject for the next day.

"Malcolm, I-"

"Jack, you don't have to give me an explanation. This is just me, giving you a friendly warning. You and I both know what happened to you after Sarah. Doctors should not get attached to their patients."

Jack just nodded. He wanted Malcolm to leave as soon as possible so he could go and see Kate.

"By the way, were you able to get her full name before she passed out? We still couldn't identify her and we don't know anything about her medical past and everything."

"No, she was not fully conscious when I found her, she was hallucinating." He lied. "There's nothing we can do but wait for her to wake up."

"I heard the police were searching though the remains of her car to find some kind of an ID. But it's probably a dead-end. The car blew up a few minutes after we left."

"We were lucky to get out on time."

"Yeah... Oh, and what happened to the boy? Is he still here?"

With that question, Malcolm caught him off guard. He was so relieved to know that Kate was okay that he forgot all about the lie.

"Uh... I called social services after you went into surgery, they came and picked him up." He replied after thinking for a few seconds. But right as the words came out of his mouth, he realized the huge mistake he was making but he couldn't take it back.

"At 4am?" His friend asked. He looked suspicious and Jack knew that if he didn't find a quick and rational answer to his question, Malcolm would eventually connect the dots and find out he was lying.

"Yeah, I was surprised too." He said. " A social worker was already here to pick up a kid and there was an available foster home close by. And when they heard what Aaron lived through tonight, they thought that it would be best to get him out of a cold hospital as soon as possible."

Jack was looking at Malcolm directly in his eyes to see if he believed in the lie he just told.

"That's good." He said. "The kid must be pretty shaken up. Okay, I should go change now. And you need some rest. Go home Jack."

"No, I'll go and check up on her. I'll probably sleep here somewhere after that."

Malcolm shook his head in disapproval and left. Just as they parted, Jack turned around.

"Malcolm! Thank you. For everything..."

The two friends smiled at each other and went back in their different directions.

* * *

Jack quietly walked into the ICU. There were a few more patients in the room, all in a coma. Kate was lying on the hospital bed at the far corner of the room with a bunch of tubes sticking out of her.

He got closer and stood by her bed, watching her chest rise and fall with every beep coming from the machine.

He finally got the chance to study her face clearly. She looked so calm and peaceful, with her eyes terrified eyes, now closed. There were no signs of the woman he met the night before. Except for the scars on her face...

She looked even more beautiful with her face clean from all the blood. He felt an urge to get closer to her, to touch her skin and stoke her soft, brown hair. But he stopped himself, remembering the conversation he just had with Malcolm.

He watched her and wondered what kind of a life she had, what job she did, why didn't she have any family, or whether she _chose_ not to have a family.

Where did she live? What was her favorite song? What were her dreams?

He wondered what happened to Aaron's father. What was the secret she was so desperately trying to hide? What would happen if that secret was exposed?

Would she keep her promise and explain everything or would she just thank Jack for everything he did and continue to her life after she woke up?

No.

Jack wouldn't let that happen. He had questions and he needed answers. Of course there was also the strong connection he felt towards her. Malcolm was wrong. It was nothing like the feeling he felt towards Sarah. This was different. Completely different…

When he was miserable, when he had no hope for his future, these two people had come to his life.

Even though Jack had refused to believe in these kind of things, he was starting to think about this being fate.

"I'm hungry." Aaron said from the top of the stairs. Margo closed the book she was reading and went up to to meet the boy.

"Good morning sweetie. Did you have a good nights sleep?"

Aaron only nodded. He was still shy around Margo, which was very normal. But she really wanted to help him and he wouldn't let her. It had been two days since the accident and with every day that passed, Aaron closed himself more. Jack not coming to see him didn't help as well.

She tried talking to him but for every question she asked he just answered with simple, one-sentence answers and go off to do something else.

His favorite thing to do was play around with the dog.

Ronin, was the Shepherd Family's dog for almost 11 years. But despite the Labrador's old age, he was still very energetic and playful. He, just like Margo, was excited to see a new face, _a child_, at the house.

"Okay then, what would you like to have for breakfast."

The boy shrugged. Margo sighed and knelt down next to the child. She took his hand in hers.

"Aaron, I want you to feel like you're at home here. I know you feel alone and it's a very different environment but you have nothing to be scared or shy about. I want you to have a great time here until your mommy comes because you know what?" She said and went closer to whisper in his ear, like it's a big secret. "You're the best guest I've ever had!"

The boy got excited and with a huge grin on his face he said: "Pancakes. I want to eat pancakes." After he was finished with his sentence her remembered something and quickly added it in "Please."

He didn't want to be a rude boy like his mommy said he would be if he didn't use his please and thank yous.

"Okay honey, you go downstairs and find where Ronin is hiding. I'll be at the kitchen, making your pancakes. They should be ready as quick as a wink!"

Twenty minutes later Margo walked into the living room and found Aaron sitting cross-legged on the floor, next to the old dog. He was talking to him, telling him stories about this "adventure" he and his mom were having. Margo decided to stay back and listen. Maybe she could learn more about this boy and his mother this way.

"Mommy and I are having the biggest road trip ever! But we had to stop for a while because my mommy got really hurt. She had blood coming out from right here." He said quietly and pointed at his tummy. "But Jack saved her. She's going to be just fine and then she will come and pick me up then we will continue to our adventure! No, Ronin don't be sad. I will come and visit you and Aunt Margo and Jack. Maybe you can come with us!" He said enthusiastically when he came up with the great idea.

"It's so much fun because mommy has all the songs that I like. We sing them together and sometimes she stops the car, we get out and dance together. It's so much fun!

She even let me take all my toys with me. She said I should take everything I wanted cause we are not going back home. I forgot to take my batman toy, but that's okay. Mommy said she'll get me a new one." He explained innocently, not realizing that Margo was listening.

Afterwards the cartoon that came up on the TV distracted him and he started watching bugs bunny dress up as a woman to distract Egghead.

He was lying on the floor with his head on the dogs soft fur. After letting him watch the cartoon for a few more minutes, Margo decided to call him for breakfast. The boy got up quickly and rushed to the kitchen. She helped him get up on the tall stool and placed a huge stack of pancakes in front of him.

His face lit up when he saw how tall the stack was.

Soon, the hungry little boy's face was covered in maple syrup.

Margo started laughing at the adorable sight in front of her.

"Did you like it Aaron?"

"I was delicious! Just like my grandma's."

She decided that this was the best chance to make him talk about his family which his mother denied to have.

"Does your grandma make you a lot of pancakes?"

"Yes but she also-" he realized what he was doing and quickly covered his mouth.

"What's wrong Aaron?" Margo asked.

"Mommy gets sad when I talk about grandma."

"Why does she get sad?"

He thought for a while and remembered the long conversation he had with his mom. "She died. She's in heaven now." He replied.

"Oh..." Margo said a little disappointed. She felt like they were hiding something but apparently it had nothing to do with his grandmother. She was about to ask him about his father when the doorbell rang.

"It's Jack!" The boy screamed and jumped off the stool. "Maybe he brought mommy with him!"

He ran to the door, the old woman chasing him. She stopped Aaron and told him to never answer the door on his own, even if it was Jack. She couldn't tell him that he was there illegally and if someone found out about this, both she and Jack would probably end up in jail.

* * *

**There you go! I hope you liked it.**

**Please leave a REVİEW :)**

**And guys, if you are bored, want to talk about Jate, Lost or anything I would love to PM and get to know you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**As I promised, here's another update before the week's over. I had one more scene to write to tie the flashback to the rest of the chapter. But I don't have time so I had to break this chapter in two. And I'm not happy with that!**

**But I'll be super busy until next Thursday so I had to update NOW.**

**I will be going out of town for new years and my next update would probably be then. I'm sorry**

**But anyways, I want to thank all of you who for the reviews! You guys seriously make my day!**

**And as always, ENJOY!**

* * *

**-FLASHBACK-**

She rushed from one room to another, picking up everything she thought she might need. After getting all her things packed, her last stop was Aaron's room and just like she did with her clothes, she just threw the large pile into another empty suitcase. She didn't have time to neatly fold them in, or make a list of things to pack like she always did when they went on a trip.

But this time it was different.

Much, much different…

"_It was all happening so fast."_ She thought. She took a few steps back and looked around the room. At the placing of the jungle themed furniture, at the glowing stars up on the ceiling, the photos of the 3 of them in frames Aaron had made…

Every part in that tiny room meant something to her. Wherever she looked a memory popped in her mind.

She just stood there, staring, trying to find answers in the bright colors of the furniture and the toys lying on the floor.

When did all this happen? Just a few months ago they were a happy family everyone envied. And now…

Now, everything was shattered into a million pieces and Kate no longer had the strength or the energy to put them back together.

So there she was, doing the one thing she knew best, running away.

After a few minutes of standing in the middle of the room, motionless, she finally got herself to start moving again. Opening the tree shaped wardrobe, she took out all of her son's winter clothes and put them inside another suitcase.

She could clearly remember the hours she and her husband spent, trying to draw the plans for this very nursery. To her it was just like yesterday.

They were going to have their first child, a boy, and they wanted everything to be special and perfect. All the furniture in his room were custom-made and was a gift from Tom's parents. The room was quickly filled with all the necessary needs and even more. The only missing thing was their son.

And one morning when they both woke up to a devastating scene, their entire life was ruined. Kate had gone into early labor and lost their firstborn on the same day.

They never went back to being their old selves. Kate kept blaming herself for what happened and Tom shut himself off into his work.

But then Aaron came along, their miracle…

The nursery that hadn't been touched since they lost the baby was finally filled with the beautiful baby scent.

The day of his arrival was the best day for both their lives.

Tom and Kate were childhood friends. They grew up together, side-by-side.

There was nothing in this world that could break them apart. He was always the rock she leaned on, her safe haven.

Whenever there was trouble at home she used to sneak out and go straight into say into the safety of Tom's arms.

He was there when her parents got divorced and when her mother got remarried.

He was there, promising her that he would take her away after every time Wade would abuse her.

He was the only person she trusted in, opened up to and felt safe around.

And all he ever wanted was to get her out of the life she was living.

If it hadn't been for Tom, Kate would grow up to more messed up adulthood. But he picked up her pieces and convinced her to continue to high school.

And after that, he helped her get into college.

He even supported her when she decided become a special needs teacher even though she'd worked so hard to get her law degree.

They got married the day after he graduated from med school. They couldn't wait any longer. On their high school graduation, Tom gave Kate a promise. He promised her that he would create this perfect life for them far away from Ames/Iowa. They would get married and live somewhere warm and have the 9 kids that wanted to have when they were little. But there was only thing he asked from her. He just needed her to wait. Wait until he finished med school and had a proper job before he became a husband.

That's why the decided to have a private ceremony at the City Hall. Didn't need anyone else but themselves to celebrate their love.

Of course Tom's parents, Emma and Robert got really mad at the young couple but they didn't care.

They loved each other and we're starting a life together.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

"Where we going mommy?" She heard her little boy ask. She quickly wiped the tears that escape down her cheeks. She didn't realize that she was crying.

She closed the suitcase and zipped it up. Then turned around and knelt next Aaron and smiled.

"Were going on a vacation baby."

The boy jumped around and excitement. "Really?"

She kissed him on the forehead.

"Yeah, really. So why don't you pick up your favorite toys and books and put them in your backpack."

"Okay mommy." He said and started running around the room.

They ended up using another suitcase because Aaron decided that all his toys needed a vacation too. Kate placed everything in the car and went back inside to pack some snacks. She would be on the road for days with her always-hungry boy. She put a few packages dinosaur crackers into his Buzz Lightyear backpack.

"_Aaron-asaurus'_" she thought. The little boy was obsessed with dinosaurs ever since he understood what they were. And his father always used to call him that. That was one of the many memories the father and son shared.

They would build up a tent in the middle of the living room and go on a dino-safari. Aaron would bring all the stuffed dinosaurs and they would talk about the different types. Their colors, height, eating habits, where they lived... They would spend the entire night dressed up as two explorers and eating junk food. Kate would eventually find them sleeping. Aaron safely lying in his daddy's arms...

Kate smiled at the picture she drew in her mind.

But she stopped herself immediately.

She needed to stop thinking about Tom, remove him from her memories and only focus on herself and Aaron.

That was the only way she could keep the most important person in her life.

She needed to heal.

For herself…

And for Aaron…

**-END OF FLASHBACK-**

* * *

"Jack!" Aaron said and hugged him. Then with a sweet smile on his face, he went outside and looked around for the one person he missed most.

"Come here, Aaron." Jack said and invited the boys inside. "Your mommy couldn't come with me today."

"But why?" The boy whined

"She's resting so she can get better."

"Can't she get better here?"

"She needs the special things we have at the hospital."

"But I missed her. _A lot_."

"I know you do… And she'll be here soon. We just need to give her a little more time to get better."

The boy nodded but his eyes were still filled with tears. Jack picked him up in his arms and tried to comfort the scared child.

Margo touched Jack's arm and by simply looking into his eyes, she told him that they needed to talk.

"Aaron, why don't you go upstairs and play with your toys for a bit. Jack and I will join you in a sec." She said.

"Okay." He said. Right as he was climbing up the stairs, he turned around to Jack.

"Auntie Margo gave me all your old toys Jack! You had a lot of them!"

"Yeah, I did buddy. And I will come up and play with you as soon as I finish talking with Auntie Margo. Okay?"

"Okay!" he answered and continued running up to his temporary room.

The old woman led the way to the kitchen.

"Where the hell were you Jack? You left me here with a little boy and you haven't even called me to tell me what's been going on!" She yelled at him as silent as she could. The last thing she wanted was Aaron to hear this conversation and was him to build a much stronger wall between them.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't leave her. I just... couldn't."

His mother sighed. "Did you know this woman from somewhere before?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"We'll because honey, you are acting very differently about all this. A doctor doesn't usually sleep at the hospital just to be with a patient. A doctor..." She whispered. "Doesn't break the law for a simple patient."

"So I should've just let the social services take him and cause him to loose his mother forever." He snapped. "If it's so hard for you to take care of him for a few days, I can get someone else to-"

"Did I say that?" Margo said in surprise. "Why are you acting like this Jack? I told you that I'd help you. I only want to protect you from getting hurt. Look, I know you Jack. You're my son. I'm aware of the fact that you're acting like the way you did with Sarah. You're still _healing _from what happened with her. You shouldn't get attached to anyone else right now."

"Mom-"

"I'm not done. Look, I know you're trying to help them. And you feel responsible for them. But please keep in mind that Jack, you can't save _everyone. _"

Jack decided not to comment on that. He wanted this conversation to be over as soon as possible.

Everyone in his life thought that he was always feeling an exaggerated amount of responsibility towards all his patients. And they took it as their job to warn him that he can't save everyone, just like his dad did when Jack was little.

_" Don't choose, Jack, don't decide. You don't want to be a hero. You don't want to try and save everyone because when you fail... you just don't have what it takes" _

"I can see that you getting mad at me. Just like you used to when you were little. You're a stubborn man; Jack Shepherd and you never listen to what other people tell you. Just think about what I just told you, okay? I don't want you to get attached to her and this beautiful little boy. They might leave and go far away from here as soon as she wakes up. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay, mom."

"Good. So how long will I have my little guest staying?"

"They're keeping Kate in a medically induced coma for a couple of days. Maybe they'll wake her up today. I'm not sure. "

"Okay then, I say we go out for a little bit of shopping. He doesn't have anything to wear and a few new toys might actually cheer him up."

"We don't need to do that. I'm tired anyway. I just want to get a few hours of sleep and go back to the hospital."

Just as he finished his sentence, he felt someone tugging on his pants and looked down to see Aaron.

"I want to show you something." He said and dragged him up the stairs to the guest room he was currently staying in.

The entire room was "decorated" with a child's touch. He had arranged all the toys in a specific place. There were several blankets on the bed and a few on the floor. Also by the bed, there were twin chairs that had two large stuffed bears, neatly placed. On of the bears was actually a birthday gift Jack had got from his father when he was 7. Of course it was a bear that wore surgical scrubs. What else could his father have got him?

"Look! Mommy can come here now. I made this room _very_ special! Just like the hospital. Look..." He said and pulled him towards the bed. "I put 4 blankies here so she can stay warm. And there are two chairs here. Dr. Teddy and his friend are sitting here right now but when mommy comes you and I can sit here and take care of her. All the toys could help make her better!"

"Aaron... This room looks amazing! And I'm sure you mom will love staying when she gets out of the hospital."

"Today?" He asked.

"No. Not today buddy. But soon... Really, really soon."

"But I want her to come! I made the room special! Like the hospital… Like you said… She can come! Bring her here! I want my mommy!" He cried and started punching the toys and kicking the furniture.

Margo rushed to the room while Jack picked the boy up and tried to hold him still and clam him down. But instead, he continued to punch and kick Jack.

He had no idea what to say or how to act around him. In his arms, was a 4-year-old boy who needed his mother more than anything…

"It's okay, Aaron. Jack will bring her here soon. Look, look at the toys honey. You're making them sad too. Don't cry. Please don't cry." Margo tried to soothe him but it didn't work. He started throwing a much bigger fit. He managed to free himself from Jack's arms and started running downstairs and out the back door.

Jack and Margo chased him to the backyard that was covered in snow. They found the in the middle of the snow with his bare feet.

He was running without knowing where to go.

Just running…

So they decided to let him do that and calm himself down. They watched him run around for a good 5 minutes and at the end he slowly walked back to the only two people he knew he was safe around.

He was still silently crying. But the tear soaked face was the only thing left from the screaming boy a few minutes ago.

Margo quickly wrapped him in a warm blanket and took off his wet clothes. Instead, she made him wear one of jacks T-shirts.

They were all sitting in the warm living room, including Ronin. Aaron was sitting on the floor whispering something to the dog while the mother and son glanced at each other, both expecting the other to make the first move to talk with the boy.

"Aaron do you want to talk about what just happened?" Jack finally asked.

He shook his head and continued playing with the dog's soft, golden fur.

Jack looked at his mother to see what else he should do but the old woman was clueless as well.

So finally Jack decided to forget that it ever happened and do something he thought the boy would enjoy.

"So, Aaron. Do you like Christmas?"

His face lit up immediately. "Yes!"

"It's really close, you know. Why don't we go to the mall and get some presents."

"Really? Can we get one for mommy as well?" He asked.

"Of course we can! Anything you want."

"And a Christmas tree! Or else Santa won't come!"

"Okay kiddo, we'll get a Christmas tree as well."

* * *

By the end of the day, the two adults were exhausted with a little boy who still was very enthusiastic and energetic about Christmas.

They had gone into every toy store and got loads of toys for Aaron. Some were wrapped to put under the tree and others were to make his days more enjoyable.

Margo had gone crazy with the clothing shopping. That day, she realized how much she missed having kids around.

After the mall they got something to eat and then went to get a Christmas tree. All the ornament the Shepherd family had collected were still in a box in the attic. So the only thing missing was a large Christmas tree to put in the middle of the living room.

After coming home and setting up the tree, they started decorating it immediately. Aaron was so happy with all of this that he didn't stop talking. He talked about his mom, his toys, the stories his mommy told him about Santa, _everything._

But just like Margo had noticed in the morning, he wouldn't talk about any of his other family members. Every once in a while he mentioned a grandma and a grandpa but whenever they tried to learn more, he shut himself off.

After dinner they did some more decorating but Aaron fell asleep a few minutes into it so they decided to leave everything to continue the next day.

Jack carried the sleeping child to his room and tucked him in tightly.

Just as he was about to get into his own room and finally get some sleep, his pager went off.

It was Kate.

* * *

**If you want me to update before the New Year please leave a REVIEW and motivate me!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry guys!**

**My life's been going all over the place lately and I couldn't get a chance an go on fan fiction for the past weeks…**

** Last friday I flew to another city to visit my great-grandma for New Years. But right on December 31st we had to take her to the hospital and she's been in the ICU since then. I'm back home now but I can't stop thinking about her. She's one of the most special women in my life and I'm not ready to let her go… But the doctors say that there's nothing more they can do…**

** On top of that school's been giving me a very hard time. Turkish education and examination system is brutal! I go to school 6 days a week, from 8am to 5 pm! I've been drowning under a huge pile of homework and I have tests every single day until the end of January!**

** And again, I'm sorry for spilling my entire life in front of you like this but I felt the need to share this with someone…**

** Yeah, so those were my excuses for not updating before the New Year like I promised. And also they're the reason of this shorter chapter.**

** I want to apologise in advance and sadly tell you that I might not be able to update again before January 24th… Until my mid-year break...**

** And also I want to thank each and every one of you who has reviewed, followed and favorited! You guys seriously make my day and I really needed them especially after this past few weeks.**

**One more thing I should add, it's 2am right now and I'm not sure if I was able to correct my mistakes properly. :/**

**I will now stop with my rambling and let you read the new chapter :)**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**-FLASHBACK-**

"Where are we going mommy?" Aaron asked once again when they were in the car.

They were almost out of Iowa and Kate had stopped the car to look at the map.

They had started their "adventure", yes, but she actually didn't have a destination in mind yet. She was just staring at the map trying to find a perfect place for them to start their new life. A perfect place as far away from Iowa as possible. She searched from one end of the country to the other.

And finally, she picked Seattle.

"It's far enough and if anything goes wrong I could easily escape to Canada." She murmured to herself.

Aaron grew restless when he couldn't get a response from his mother and started kicking to front seat.

"Stop it baby." Kate warned gently.

"I don't like this adventure! I'm bored mommy!" He said, kicking it harder.

"Aaron... Please-"

"I want to go home!" He yelled.

"But we're on an adventure sweetie." she said trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. There was a lot going in her mind and the last thing she needed was Aaron to throw a fit.

"I don't like it. I want to go home! I want to go back to grandma and grandpa!"

Kate finally lost her temper with all the yelling and the kicking. "Aaron, stop it! We are not going back home so just shut up and sit still!" She shouted back.

But the second the car went silent, she regretted it all.

She clutched her fists and cursed to herself silently. Looking back from the rearview mirror she saw that Aaron was crying silently. Her heart broke into a million pieces at the sight and she wanted to punch herself for doing this to her son. He was 4, of course he would be bored from a 2-hour car drive. Of course he would ask questions...

She put her head on the stirring wheel and waited for them both to calm down. After a short while she got out of the car and went back to sit with her little boy. She tried to touch him and stroke his hair but he pulled back, still avoiding to look at her in the eye.

"Aaron, I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to yell."

"You said a mean word!" He cried out.

"I know, baby. I'm so _so_ sorry." She waited for a while for him to look at her and when he did she reached out her arms and invited him for a hug.

Hesitant, Aaron slowly crawled into her arms and buried his face in her chest.

"I promise you that I won't be mean again. Ever... And I'll do my best make our trip more fun."

"_Adventure._" He corrected.

"Yes, Aaron, _adventure_." She kissed him. "Actually, you know what?" She asked. "We can start having fun right now!"

She went though her cd case and found the Disney songs cd, which Aaron adored.

"Come one baby, get up!" she said excitedly and opened the back door. The boy didn't understand what was going on but followed his mother to the empty space next to the desolate road.

The first song on the CD was from Aaron's favourite movie, Lion King. Kate had lost count of the times they had cuddled on their enormous sofa and watched it.

After a while it had become an obsession for both of them. Their favorite thing to do when they are together…

Once Aaron even said that they could be Timon and Pumba if they wanted and could get inside the movie which made Kate chuckle. Imitating Timon and Pumba had become an inside joke to them.

A mommy and son thing that always made everyone around them watch in awe…

Aaron's face lit up when he understood what was about to happen. He started jumping around as the music and his sweet laughter filled the empty roads. There were only two people there, dancing around with their very own, goofy dance and singing at the top of their lungs

Kate realised that this was the first time they actually shared a fun moment like this since what happened with Tom.

She felt guilty for not spending enough time with him like she used to. They'd been together since the day he was born and he was always the centre of all the attention. He must be feeling very neglected.

Kate knew her son very well, maybe a lot more than a mother should. But they weren't just mother and son after all.

They were best friends and they needed each other to survive everything that's been going around them.

She felt Aaron tug on her sleeve and snapped back to reality. There was an important role she needed to play. Kate was going to play Pumba and Aaron Timon. He knew oh so well what he was supposed to do so he started singing the song.

_ "Why, when he was a young warthog"_

It was Kate's turn and she managed to try to fake the voice of Pumba which made it magical in Aaron's eyes.

_"When I was a young warthog."_

_ "Very nice!"_

_"Thanks."_

_"He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal_

_He could clear the Savannah after every meal"_

_"I'm a sensitive soul, though I seem thick-skinned_

_And it hurt that my friends never stood downwind"_

Then the fun part started. And what they were actually saying was suppressed by their giggles.

_"And oh, the shame,"_

_" he was ashamed"_

_"Thoughta changin' my name" _

_"oh, what's in a name?"_

_"And I got downhearted," _

_"how did you feel?" _

_"Every time that I-"_

_"Pumbaa, not in front of the kid"_

_"oh sorry"_

_Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase..._

And it went on and on like that until the song played a couple more times and Aaron was too exhausted to jump around anymore. They climbed back into the car after Aaron gave a swift peck on Kate's cheek.

She was finally happy and she wasn't feeling the guilt for yelling at Aaron anymore… Then the road trip continued as Kate's smile never left her face until she saw Aaron looking straight to her from the rearview window with big, red eyes.

Confused, she stopped the car once again and made her way next to Aaron. He quickly climbed onto her and cried a little more. After a while she finally got learn what was causing his tears.

"Mommy, we didn't get to say goodbye to daddy." He whispered.

She pulled him closer to her chest and rocked him gently as her own tears rolled down.

"I know baby... I know…And I'm so sorry Aaron. I'm so sorry…"

**-END OF FLASHBACK-**

* * *

"What happened?" Jack said as he went though the doors or the ICU.

"She's waking up." The nurse simply said while checking up on the patient next to Kate.

"When did you take her off the meds? Why was I not informed? Where the hell is Dr. Reeves?" he was drawing circles around Kate's bed checking ever monitor and every chart there was.

"Dr. Shepherd, calm down. They were trying to wake her up for a while now. Dr. Reeves specifically asked us to page you when she actually woke up. He thought you needed some rest and as you know, it takes time for a patient to wake up from a coma. It might be days..."

"Alright. Where is Malcolm now?"

"He's in surgery right now. Should be out in a couple of hours." She answered and continued to tend another the patient who were also in a coma.

Jack sat down on the uncomfortable armchair next to Kate's bed and watched her slightly move and try to wake up. As a doctor, he knew that this process would probably go on like this for a good hour or more but he decided to wait. And the longer he waited, the herder it got to keep his tired eyes open. And finally he fell asleep with his neck falling down onto the back of the chair.

* * *

After a few hours he woke up to find Kate with her eyes fully open. She was looking around the room with red, searching eyes.

And then her eyes met his.

He gazed into them for a while until he eventually realised she was trying to say something. He'd forgotten that she'd been sleeping for days and had a painfully dry mouth. He reached over to the end table, which always had a glass of water with a straw hanging out of it, and he helped her lift her head a little. She took a few sips and layer her head back down onto the pillows.

"Where is he?" she asked with a raspy voice. "Where's Aaron?"

Jack looked around and noticed that the nurse was still around, checking on patients, fully aware that the most popular patient in the hospital was now awake. She moved over to a patient that was closer to Kate's bed, obviously to listen to what they were talking about. The entire hospital was already filled with rumours about this mysterious unidentified woman and the beloved doctor.

"Social services came and took him. He's at a foster home right now." Jack looked at Kate directly in the eye and tried to tell her that he was lying, that he couldn't tell her where her son actually was because the nurse was listening. But Kate was too distracted by the news, that she didn't understand what his eyes were clearly telling her

Kate's eyes grew wide and her heartbeat rate increased, making the monitor beep faster. She tried to get up but Jack quickly stopped her.

"Let me go! I need to find my son!" She tried to scream but if sounded just like a whisper. She sank back onto the bed and look up to him with watery eyes. "What have you done Jack? I told you not to-"

Jack cut her off before she could say anything more. He quickly turned back to the nurse and asked her to find a doctor that was familiar with her file. When she tried to tell him that all the doctors are busy, he yelled at her to go and find someone.

The nurse, surprised at the always-kind doctors actions, nodded and went out the ICU.

He quickly turned back to the worried mother. "Kate. Kate! Look at me. Look... Aaron is safe. I did what you asked me to do and didn't call the services."

"What?"

"I had to tell you that because the nurse was here. What you asked me to do is... It is illegal, Kate. I had to lie to everyone and if they found out about it, I could get convicted."

"Where is he then? Is he here? Can I see him?"

"He's staying with my mom right now and I'm sorry but you can see him until you get out of the hospital. It's too risky for me to bring him here. They would start asking questions."

"Okay." She whispered but started crying right after. All the emotions she felt after the crash were coming back to her. The terror, the desperation, the physical pain… for an instant she went back to being stuck inside that car. She was shaking and clasping the white hospital sheets.

Jack quickly went over to her and held her hands tightly. "Kate, it's over. You're safe now. Everything's going to be alright. You're going to get better and they'll probably discharge you in 4 or 5 days. Maybe a week... But after that, you will be with your son again. You'll be with Aaron."

With the mention of his name Kate snapped back to reality. She calmed down but didn't let go of his hand

* * *

The doctors came to check on her soon after. They told both Jack and Kate that everything was headed in the right direction and if it continued like this, she would be home in a week or less.

Kate was assigned to a private room and the two were finally left alone. Jack realised that she was smiling and couldn't help but smile himself. Her contagious smile, like everything else about her, was captivating.

He was seeing a very different side of Kate, a side he hadn't met yet. And he was excited to find out more about it.

"I don't know if I can ever thank you enough. All the things you've done for me... I just..."

"You don't need to say anything, Kate." He held her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I don't think any other doctor would go against the law and take in a stranger's child. You're a very special man."

He chuckled. "Yeah, special..."

"Why? Don't you think you're special?" She sounded surprised. While she was being moved to the private room she'd had a little chat with the nurses and in just a few minutes they had told her a lot of heroic things Dr. Jack Shepherd had done for his patients.

"I've been told a lot of things Kate. But special was never one of them." he replied instantly thinking of his father's words.

"I don't think that's true"

He was about to say something else but their little conversation cut short by two doctors entering the room.

"Kate, there are some cops waiting outside to ask you a few questions about the crash. Do you think you can talk with them?"

"Because if you're tired, you don't have to speak to them right now." Jack interjected.

"No, I'll talk with them. I just...I just want this to be over." She told Jack.

One of the doctors went outside and invited them in. They stared by telling her how sorry they are about the crash and wished her good health. After a few minutes of small talk they got right into the subject.

"Ma'am can we get your full name please?"

"Kaitlin Emma Davis." She lied.

"And your son?"

"Aaron Thomas Davis."

"Ms. Davis, you told Dr. Shepherd that you didn't have any other family members to inform about the crash?"

She sighed. "No. It's just Aaron and me."

* * *

"Kaitlin Davis?" Jack asked when they were alone again. The cops had asked many questions, all of them which Kate answered so simply, as if she had rehearsed it before.

"Just admit it, Jack. You know, as well as I do, that I was lying to those cops."

"Yes Kate I assumed you weren't telling the truth but why? Why _weren't_ you telling the truth?"

"That's a story for another time." She tried to change the subject but Jack was faster than her.

"No. No, you told me that you would explain everything. I kept my promises, now it's time to keep yours."

She smiled. "Okay, but just know that I'm telling all this to you only because you managed to earn my trust with everything you've done with Aaron."

"Okay, I'm listening." He sat down on the bed.

"Where should I start?" she asked.

"What's your real name?"

She chuckled. "Katherine… Katherine Anne Brennan."

"Okay _Katherine_, now tell me why are you lying to everybody?"

"Jack..."

"Please, Kate. I need to know why I'm doing this."

"I guess I need to start from the beginning then. My husband and I used to run a diner. The diner actually was my mom's and when she passed away, it was the only thing I had left from her. Tom managed the business while I tried to keep the customers happy. We were a simple, happy family from Ames,Iowa. Our life was amazing.

Tom was an incredible man. The most caring human being I've ever met. And when he passed away…" her voice cracked and she wiped a tear away.

"After he passed away I found out that we were actually in a huge amount of debt. He was hiding it from me to keep me away from all the trouble. He never wanted me to worry about anything so he always kept these things away from me. And when he was gone, everything was dropped onto me.

I did everything, Jack. I got a second job, asked some close friends for loans. I even sold our house and lived with my best friends for a few months.

Nothing worked. So…" she stopped and took a deep breath.

She paused for awhile and hoped that something would interrupt them and she wouldn't have to tell him what she had done. She was not proud of it and was scared that Jack would look at her differently after he found out. She didn't want that because she was feeling this very strong attraction towards this hot and caring doctor who had savde her life and her son's.

"I had to run Jack. I had to take Aaron and leave everything behind. I wasn't going to wait a few more months until they came from the bank expecting to get the money I didn't have. So, I somehow managed to find new ID's for both of us so that we can start a brand new life. We were going to escape to Canada from here but then… Well, then I crashed the car and almost died."

Jack didn't know what to say.

He had already assumed that she was in legal trouble and he was relieved to find out it was financial and nothing worse.

But when he didn't say anything for a long while Kate got worried and asked him "Jack? you won't tell this to anyone, right? You-you wouldn't call the police?"

"Of course not." He replied quickly. "You trusted me with your secret and you shouldn't worry about anything. I won't report you in fact, I will help you and Aaron escape the country."

* * *

** There! Kate's secret is revealed! Or is it? :D**

** If you liked this chapter please REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

** Hi :)**

**I hope there are still some of you who would like to continue reading to this story. I'm so sorry for not updating for ages but I had a lot going on. **

**I'm on a 2 week break from school and if I can find time from my 340 pages of homework I will try to write as much as I can.**

* * *

After working a 32-hour shift and checking on Kate every now and then Jack decided to go back to his mother's house and rest for the evening. He was actually starving, so he was glad he could make it on time for his mother's amazing dinners.

Opening the front door with his own set of keys, he stepped into the house instantly welcomed with a children's tune playing on the piano. He found the two people he was looking for at the living room, by the grand piano. Margo had Aaron comfortably sitting on her lap with. He was singing _I am a Music Man _while Margo played it on the piano. Jack could easily see the love she felt for this amazing child from the way his mother looked at him. Even though it had only been a week since they met and didn't have a very good start, they were now closer than ever.

Aaron was the first to look up from the piano and notice that Jack had come home. He quickly jumped off of Margo's lap and ran towards him. Jack knelt and he gave him a tight hug.

"Jack! I can play the piano! Come, see!" he pulled him towards the piano. With his tiny, chubby fingers he started playing _Twinkle Little Star_

It was the first song Margo had taught Jack as well and watching Aaron brought back all the memories. He used to spend hours in front of that piano, practicing. Playing the piano was his first and favorite passion. He loved it when he gave himself into the music and let his fingers play whatever they wished. But when his father decided that he should go to med school and become a great surgeon like he was, Jack started spending less time playing and more time studying. As years passed he didn't even have time to look up from his books, let alone play a few songs.

"Good job Aaron! You're really good!" He cheered.

The boy had a proud grin on his face as he played the song over and over again. The two adults were watching him when all of a sudden he stopped and went next to Margo.

"I'm hungry." he stated.

They were first startled but after a moment of processing it, they both started laughing at the boy's out-of-nowhere behavior.

"Did you eat anything yet?" Margo asked, turning to her son.

He shook his head. "I thought I could join you guys if you have an extra seat."

"Of course silly! There are sixteen chairs on the table!" " Aaron said as he pointed at the huge dining table. "I counted." he added.

Margo chuckled. "Come on boys dinner should be ready any time now. And Aaron…" she turned back to him. "I have a surprise for you after you finish your meal." she winked. He tried to wink back but ended up making a silly expression with his eyes. She laughed and took his hand, leading him to the dining room.

It was a little challenging to make Aaron eat one of Margo's signature dishes, roasted duck with raspberry glaze… But at least he had finish eating all his vegetables she'd steamed as a side dish.

"Auntie Margo?" Aaron asked shyly, still playing with the duck in front of him. Both she and Jack turned their attention from their dishes to the boy.

"Do you know how to make mac&cheese?"

They both started laughing uncontrollably but he didn't understand why and waited for and answer, confused. Margo was sitting right next to him so she was able to ruffle his hair.

"You didn't really like the duck, did you?" she asked him.

The boy shook his head. "Mommy never makes things like these for dinner. Her mac&cheese is yummy. I help her make it sometimes."

"Okay then, I'll try to make some for tomorrow but I'll need a helper. Hmm… Who can that be?"

Aaron raised his hand up in the air as he jumped up and down on his chair. "I can! I can! Mommy says I'm a great helper!"

"That's great! I will need a great helper. But Aaron, if you're still hungry right now I can quickly make something for you."

"No, I'm full. Look…" he got off his chair and pulled up his T-shirt revealing his little, round belly. He patted on it a few times just to make sure he didn't have any space left.

"Well that's a shame." Jack said to his mother and gave her a wink. "I guess you and I will have to finish you surprise desert, mom." he continued playfully.

"No!" Aaron said quickly. "Let me check again?" He tapped on his belly a few more times. "Mr. Tummy says he has _a little bit_ more space left."

"Alright then." Margo stood up. "I'll go and bring them." Taking a few empty dishes with, she disappeared into the kitchen.

A few minutes later she came back with a tray filled with pudding. But it was not just an ordinary pudding dish, Jack recognized it the second he saw the special bowls they were in. They looked exactly the way she used to make him when he was little. The bowls were shaped like a dog's head and using both chocolate and vanilla pudding, she made them look even more real-like.

"Wow!" Aaron gasped in surprise. Margo proudly presented her art and placed a bowl in front of the very-excited boy. He inspected it carefully.

"It looks just like Ronin, Auntie Margo!"

At the mention of his name, the old, brown lab lifted his head up and looked around. When he didn't see anyone giving him attention he went back to sleep.

After finishing their desserts in a flash and helping Margo with the dishes, the two boys went back to the living room to watch some cartoons. Aaron, who was comfortably laying his head on Jack's chest, started yawning not long after.

"Aaron?" Jack gently said. "I think it's time for you to go to sleep.

Aaron sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Can you tuck me in tonight?"

"Sure, come here…" He picked the little boy up and carried him upstairs to his room. He helped him wear his brand new dinosaur printed pajamas and tucked him in tightly.

Just as he was about to leave, Aaron called his name and stopped him.

"Can you tell me a story?" he asked with a sleepy voice.

"I'm not a very good storyteller buddy."

"Mommy says it's never hard to make up a new story. You just need to close your eyes and imagine. Some nights mommy asks me to tell her a story and I close my eyes…" the boy did exactly that as he kept on explaining. "I can see the craziest things. Mommy laughs a lot."

Jack sat back onto the end of the bed and started thinking about all the stories his parents used to tell him when he was little.

Storytelling… That was the only thing his father was good at. Thinking about all the nights he spent with his father, Jack could still feel the excitement and the fascination he felt towards his father.

But even though his father was the best of the best in his eyes, none of his stories seemed to have stuck in his mind. He kept trying to dig deeper and pull out one of those amazing, creative stories he had listened to. But those beautiful father and son memories were suppressed with the memories the two shared as Jack grew up. Instead of the adventurous stories and goodnight kisses there were long lectures about how he was not good enough or how he needed to improve his already perfected skills

Aaron got impatient after waiting for a few minutes while Jack was lost in his thoughts.

"You didn't close your eyes." he said.

"Oh… Okay. Let's see…" Jack closed his eyes. "You should close yours too Aaron if you want to see what I'm seeing.

He could feel the little boy nod and waited for him to get comfortable in his bed.

"What do you think about a story with dragons?" he asked excitedly.

"I love dragons!"

"Good… A long long time ago, a land far away was filled with dragons of all kinds. There were big dragons and small, green dragons and the red ones that breathed fire. They were all so sting and powerful and the people living in that land feared them. But among all those scary dragons there was one that was as white as snow and as good as any creature can be. The other dragons didn't like him because he was not like them…"

Jack continued to the story until the boy's breathing slowed down. He had buried his face under the covers so Jack pulled them out of his face to give him the space to breathe. He watched him for a while and then left the room, turning the lights out and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Kate was going through the channels, bored as hell, when Jack came to visit her after his shift was over. It was late at night, as always, but instead of going home to get some rest; Jack went straight to Kate's room.

"How's it going?" he asked.

When she noticed that Jack was in the room she quickly sat up and neatened out the sheets.

"Well," she said. "The couple who has 19 kids just decided to open a flea market with their old stuff that they've been hoarding for years." She continued with a playful grin on her face. "What about you? Saved more lives today?"

He chuckled "Apparently you've been having so much fun at the hospital."

She rolled her eyes. "If I watch one more reality show, I'm going to kill myself Jack and all these thing you did to save my life would be for nothing!"

He started laughing. "Okay… So you really _are_ bored."

"When can I get out of here? It's not just the boredom you know. I really miss my son."

"Soon, Kate. Really soon… but for now, you're stuck in here with me."

She puffed.

"Hey! At least I bring you food!" he told her, throwing a bag of take-out dinner. "I hope you like Chinese…"

He sat on the armchair cross-legged. They both had an amused smile on their faces.

It had only been four days since she woke up but she felt like Jack had been a part of her life for so long. The talks, the laughs, the glances they shared were not like two people would share after knowing each other for just four days.

"Oh, this is good…" she said with her mouth full. "Actually anything's _good_ after hospital food. I honestly don't know how you can stand it Jack. They're disgusting! I mean it is like this in every hospital… You would think they'd do something about this already!" she threw her arms in the air.

Jack really enjoyed watching her get angry at simple things like this. Even though she was trying to be serious, she couldn't help herself but smile or joke about it. She was always full of life. Even on the days when she was in a lot of pain…

He started laughing at her angry expression. She looked hilarious with her arms in the air and beautiful eyes wide open.

"I'm serious!" she argued but then burst out into laughter. Jack joined her right after.

"I guess I got used to them after a while." he finally commented. "I've been trained to survive in a hospital environment since…well since I was a little older than Aaron.

Surprised at what she just heard, Kate put her food down. "A little older than Aaron?" she repeated.

"Yeah… My father was a surgeon and he wanted me to learn about the real life at a young age. With all its pain, misery and loss…" He tried to fake a smile but couldn't. And Kate quickly realized it.

She was angry at a man she hadn't met for doing something like this to his son at such a young age. Hospitals were certainly not a place for children, but that was not the part that caught her attention.

"_Was_ a surgeon?" she asked silently.

"Was…" he repeated. "He died a couple of months ago."

"I'm so sorry Jack."

"There's no need to be Kate. My father walked into his own death. He was an alcoholic, drinking whenever he found time.

You know what? From the outside everyone thought about us as this perfect family. That's how we needed to show ourselves to everyone. We needed to play pretend because my dad had to have a certain imprint on people. Because of his work…

But whenever the fundraiser, or a formal dinner at a colleague was over, we would go back to being _us_ again. My father would shut himself away in his study and ignore both my mom and my existence.

My mom… She is the most giving person I've ever known. All these year's he'd been ignoring her and yet she stood by him though everything he'd been through. I never understood that…" He paused and took a deep breath.

"In his last years he started drinking a lot more that he always did. There were times when he got into the hospital, barely able to walk. He got fired the week before he died and without saying a single word to my mom and me he flew to Australia. We'd been searching for him the entire week and my mom was worried sick… But if I have to be honest, I didn't give a damn… A part of me always wanted him to leave and never come back.

But he was still my father so when I got a call from a morgue in Sydney I went and brought him home anyways."

He was staring down on the floor the entire time. He'd meant every single he'd just said but deep inside he hated himself for thinking about his dead father like that.

Kate scooted closer to him and took hold of his hand. Just the simple warmth of her touch made his heart beat faster and Jack Shepherd went back to being a shy teenager around her again.

"I'm so sorry Jack…"

"Does it make me a horrible son? Wanting my dad out of my life…"

"Of course not Jack." He realized the tears that had formed in her eyes. "From what you just told me, you were a _great_ son to him. You shouldn't feel guilty about anything."

He gave her a fake smile. "Let's not talk about my father. What about you? I know you said you didn't have any family members left but… How was your childhood?"

"My parents got divorced when I was 10. My dad was a soldier and my one and only hero. We used to do _everything_ together but then my mom just ripped me away from him. The last memory I remember of him is him throwing his suitcase at the back of his car and pulling out the driveway. Without explaining to me what was going on or even saying goodbye. I never saw him again and I never tried to find him. I though that if this man didn't care about me enough to come and visit me _at least_ once, he didn't deserve my love.

My mom got remarried right after my dad left. Wayne… He was a total nightmare. A monster." Kate looked at the distance in disgust, picturing his face in front of her.

She chuckled nervously. "And you want to know what the best part of all this was? On her deathbed my mom decided to tell me the entire truth about my life. She decided that it was the best time to tell me that Wayne was my biological father! Can you believe that? I was 27 for God's sake and for 17 years I had blamed my father for leaving us! Apparently he didn't even want me because I was not even his. I never forgave my mother for this and I never will. She destroyed my childhood…"

"Life dealt us a really easy hand, didn't it?" Jack said after they stayed silent for a while.

She smiled. "Damaged goods… Both of us…"

* * *

**I couldn't help but put the damaged goods part. I love that scene!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a REVIEW it will mean a lot :)**


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